GenVibe - Community for Pontiac Vibe Enthusiasts

So how do i go about cleaning the engine and all it's components?? I recently seen some guys at the local carwash who was spraying the pressure washer right into his engine bay, not sure if that's safe but he drove away just fine. But this is also the same place i saw a woman pressure washing her interior of her doors that same way. Thoughts and comments?? I'd really like to have a clean engine bay!

I personally would not use any water, whether it be pressure washer or just a garden hose, directly on the engine. I have always just wiped down the engine using a towel and some type of cleaner. The cleaner depends on what you are wiping down and how dirty it is. Some good cleaners would be engine degreaser (for anything that's greasy and/or oily), detailing spray (for any painted part i.e. underside of the hood, strut towers, etc.) and some type of rubber and vinyl protectant for the hoses. Once you get it all nice and clean, just wipe everything down with a wet towel everytime you wash the vehicle. This is all I do to maintain my engine compartment. It takes about five minutes and keeps it looking new.

Don't "detailers" use some kind of steam cleaning?

I never really cared about this before, but I do with the Vibe...this is great info. I need to hop to it before it gets outta hand!

3 Times so far with a hose,no problems.

Pressure washer is a no no. You can use a light trickle from the water hose. Cover up the electrical components with a plastic bag. You can wipe these down later.

Quote, originally posted by 09vGT »Pressure washer is a no no. You can use a light trickle from the water hose. Cover up the electrical components with a plastic bag. You can wipe these down later. I have to agree that I would be concerned about getting a lot of water on today's delicate electronic components etc. I don't concern myself with how clean the car is under the hood - out of sight, out of mind. Heck, I hardly concern myself much with how clean the exterior of my car is as long as it does not look like its been driven off road. I do pay more attention to the inside as that is where I live.

Never sprayed any water under my hood......mind you this is not a Vibe...LOL

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What are the "electrical components" one should worry about when cleaning the engine? Obviously theres the battery (and whatever is connecting to said battery), but what else?

Here is the process I useWhile in the washing phasehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dyfjWhtmS2EThen I do this step while I am doing the trim.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQnwn5SBsmc

Quote, originally posted by audiovibe »Here is the process I useWhile in the washing phasehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dyfjWhtmS2EThen I do this step while I am doing the trim.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQnwn5SBsmcAwesome, love those videos!

Quote, originally posted by ligion »I recently seen some guys at the local carwash who was spraying the pressure washer right into his engine bay....But this is also the same place i saw a woman pressure washing her interior of her doors that same way.typical Tampa.

I do not use and preach against the use of pressure washers under the hood. Sadly the pressure washer has become the god send of cleaning and is good for everything!!!!....... NOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Everything on your engine is designed to accept water while cruising at freeway speeds, be it 55, 65, 75, or 90 MPH. I haven't any worries about using my garden type hose to wash off any of my engine. I use simple green, let it set a little while to eat at the dirt and rinse. It's an 07, never a problem and I don't expect to have one. A pressure washer will inject water into sealed electrical components at a pressure they were never designed to withstand. Those who do so and haven't problems should just consider themselves lucky and go buy a lottery ticket. The day is coming where their good luck will end and they will be towing their car out of such situations instead of driving!BTW, I worked in the auto industry for 15 years, I've seen "detailers" screw up good running cars with high pressure water while cleaning them for resale. I know of what I speak.Dave

Quote, originally posted by DressedInBlack »typical Tampa. Sad but true...

Quote, originally posted by djkeev »I haven't any worries about using my garden type hose to wash off any of my engine. I use simple green, let it set a little while to eat at the dirt and rinse. It's an 07, never a problem and I don't expect to have one. A pressure washer will inject water into sealed electrical components at a pressure they were never designed to withstand. Those who do so and haven't problems should just consider themselves lucky and go buy a lottery ticket. The day is coming where their good luck will end and they will be towing their car out of such situations instead of driving!BTW, I worked in the auto industry for 15 years, I've seen "detailers" screw up good running cars with high pressure water while cleaning them for resale. I know of what I speak.DaveGood to know. I was just going to ask if anyone had any real world experience. I've used a pressure washer perhaps 10-12 times on cars over the years and never had a problem. (The worst thing I've feared is overspray onto paint using engine cleaner). I also buy lottery tickets but have never won anything over $18 bucks.My karma appears to be in balance. Maybe I should stop both practices.

I have 130,000 trouble free miles on my engine (aside from the AC not working anymore). I clean my engine at least 1 time each year.Steps:1) Cover battery terminals with ziploc baggies2) Spray to wet with hose on spread (like watering a garden)3) Spray Simple Green all over the bay (use generous sprays)4) Scrub areas you can reach, but be gentle5) Rinse with hose on spread6) Let dry partially in sun7) Wipe excess water8) Apply Plastic/Vinyl cleaner of choise (I use Meg's) on all plastics, hoses, etc.9) apply small amount of wax to all painted metals and plastics (bumpers, inside drainage tracks of hood, etc.) and remove soon after to clean/glaze.BeforeAfterI did it again for the summer just this past weekend. I'll grab a pic or two and toss it up in a bit.